1. Field
One embodiment of the present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, such as a portable computer, provided with a pointing device having a flat input surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic apparatus, such as a notebook computer, is provided with a housing that forms an outer wall and an input device contained in the housing. The input device may be, for example, a pointing device that inputs information by means of a sheet capable of detecting electrostatic capacitance or a touch panel that inputs information by using a pressure-sensitive film capable of detecting pressure.
In recent years, there have been provided electronic apparatuses in which a pointing device is mounted on the inner surface of a housing and an operation area is located in a position on the outer surface of the housing corresponding to the pointing device (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-227222). According to one such electronic apparatus, the pointing device is contained in the housing, so that an input surface of the pointing device need not be protected by any protective cover or the like and the apparatus can be assembled with ease. Further, the housing need not be provided with any opening through which the pointing device is exposed, so that the designability of the apparatus can be improved.
If the pointing device is located inside the housing, as in the electronic apparatus constructed in this manner, its operation area should be configured to be easily recognized by a user from outside the housing. Although the above-described electronic apparatus is contrived so that the operation area is roughened or varied in color, it is still expected to be improved in operability and designability.